Just a Dream
by FireStorm92
Summary: (Slightly Altered) What if Ashes adventures never happened? What if he never met all people along his journey who he grew to care for? Will Ash be able to achieve his goal? Or will it take a push from an old friend to get him on track? (I do not own any rights to Pokemon.)


Just a Dream

He walked down the road making his way home at the end of his long journey. He had seen many amazing sites, and had met many people who had grown to care for. Young Ash Ketchum, now a grown man had completed his goal, defeated the Elite Four in every region he visited, and thus was awarded the title of Pokemon Master. A title he had reached for ever since he started his journey at the age of ten. It was his, and needless to say, he was thrilled. Eager to return home, the now twenty year old man picked up the pace and started to run nearing his home, his faithful Pikachu running by his side. He stopped as he reach the welcome sign to to the community of Pallet Town, a new addition to the sign reading. "Welcome to Pallet Town, Home of Pokemon Master, Ash Ketchum." This only petted his ego and he looked to Pikachu, who had jumped up on his shoulder and spoke, his voice deeper then it was when he was a boy.

"That's just cool. Don't you think so Pikachu?" He asked the electric mouse.

"Pika!" He cried out excitedly, happy for his trainer and beloved companion.

"Hmmm, though it should say something about the strongest Pikachu in the world to I think." He would say, a kind smile offered to his Pikachu. To which Pikachu would call out once more jumping of his shoulder and running for home, calling back to the young man for him to hurry. Ash only smiled and chased after his first pokemon just as eager to finally be home.

* * *

He stood outside his childhood home, the plaque with his family name that he and his mother had put on the door still there. He smiled and turned the knob walking into the room to find it dark and empty. He opened his mouth to speak but failed to say anything before the lights flashed on and his friends and mother all cheered "Surprise!" He was caught off guard but quickly regained his composure and smiled brightly, his Pikachu quickly running off to see the old friends. Ash was thrilled to see his friends after so long, having opted to travel on his own for the last few years of his journey. His mother quickly coming up to hug him nearly crying at the sight of her son who now stood half a head taller then her.

"Oh Ash, welcome home, we all missed you so much and we are so proud of you." Delia said through the tears she tried to to hold in.

"I'm home now Mom, you don't need to worry anymore." He held her tightly and smiled as he spoke softly to her. This only served to bring the tears to her eyes even faster. After the long and much needed embrace they finally separated and he was about to speak when an all to familiar voice spoke up.

"Hey there Ash... Been a long time." The voice said he turned to see all the people he had travelled with from the very begin and all to the end and smiled as they moved out of the way to reveal the fiery red head that had long ago claimed his heart. She stepped forward, her eyes rather...misty...

"Misty..." He said in a hushed tone and out of the blue she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and pressed her lips to his in a passionate and long awaited kiss, to which he eagerly returned the sentiment. The kiss feeling as though it was cut to short on both parties as she smiled at him though her eyes filled with sadness, her words filled with pain. The faces of his friends and mother also contorted in a sign of deep emotional pain as she spoke.

"Ash... You finished your journey...but...now...now it's time for you wake up... "She said as tears began to stream down her cheeks. Ash looked at her with confusion on his face as she spoke, and suddenly, all of his friends and his mother vanished one by one, leaving only him and Misty in the house.

"What...What is going on?" He asked as he held Misty tighter in a protective way. "Where did everyone go?" He'd ask his voice echoing into through the empty house. He looked to her for the answers but only saw pain in those beautiful eyes that captivated him. She leaned in and kissed him once more before she said her final words.

"It's time for you to wake up Ash, you don't need to be here any more... Just remember that I will always love you, and never forget about us...never forget about me..." She said as she began to cry quietly and slipped from his grasp, running out the back door with Ash chasing after her.

He searched the empty field around him desperately trying to find her, the rest of his friends and his mother afraid and confused with what was happening around him. Then he heard it, the pitter patter of little feet running towards him and an all to familiar cry that was also filled with sadness. "Pika Pi!"

"Pikachu! Where are you?!" He cried out turning around to see the crying pokemon running full speed to him, leaping into his arms. Ash held onto him for dear life as he fought back his tears. Pikachu having long given up on holding them in, stained his trainers shirt with his own tears. The mouse looked up to his trainer and forced a sad smile as he spoke.

"Pika...Pi...Pikachu..." With that Pikachu also vanished, leaving nothing but air in the young mans arms. Ash broke to his knees and began to cry quietly still fighting his tears as he suddenly collapsed, his world freezing still. Now sound, no movement, just nothing the trees and his home began to crumble into dust. All vanishing until he to eventually vanished.

* * *

His eyes began to open slowly needing to adjust to the light, which confused him, it had only been dark for a few minutes, why would his eyes need to adjust to light? His vision slowly became clear and he could hear someone...crying... His vision cleared slowly but surely and the figure the crying came from became his mother. Above him a ceiling fan, he lay on a bed with medical machines all around him, he was in the hospital? Did something happen to him while he was in that void? Where were all his friends? His vision cleared fully and he looked to his sobbing mother who sat beside his bed. He opened his mouth to speak but found it difficult, but with much effort he managed to let out a cracked, groggy voice.

"Mom?" He'd ask quietly, timed at a pause between her sobs. She opened her eyes wide to see her son looking at her with a worried expression on his face. "Are...you okay?" He'd ask more concerned for her then himself.

"Ash! Oh Ash, thank god you're okay! I...I thought I lost you!" She said leaning down to hug her son. He tried to hug her back but found it impossible to move. "I prayed every day that you would wake, I came by everyday to see if you had. It took ten years but you finallywoke up!"

"T...Ten years? What...What happened?" He'd ask feeling rather shocked that he'd been in a coma for ten years.

"A girl found you lying unconscious the same day you left to start your journey. She brought you to Viridian City and you were immediately put on life support. That reminds me, I should call her and tell her you finally woke up... She wanted me to let her know if you ever woke up when I met her."

"No..." He said quietly. "I need to thank her for saving my life, so I'll go meet her... What's her name?" He'd ask looking to his mother for answers, trying his hardest not to go over the deep end, after hearing that the last ten years of his life had been spent in a coma, and not traveling the world. Though this came as quite a shock but actually managed to stay somewhat level headed.

"Misty Waterflower I believe." She said finallyanswering him. His eyes shooting wide at the mention of her name, it made his heart beat heavily to know that at least she was not a dream. A small smile crossed his lips as he spoke again.

"She probobly wants her bike back." He would say aloud. "Pikachu got hurt and she fished me out of a river. I borrowed her bike promising to pay her back someday... Pikachu and I were attacked by more spearow and in a last ditch effort Pikachu let go a huge thunder bolt that got all of them and even hit me... That's probably when it happened." He'd sigh and look to his mother again with a serious look. "Is Pikachu okay?" He'd ask worry etched on his face. Delia could only offer him a sad look.

"Your Pikachu survived, but he just passed away two years ago... I'm sorry Ash..." This news devastated him but he forced up a wall reminding himself, that the Pikachu from his dream was not the Pikachu he left with to start his journey, but it still hurt him to know that he never actually got to know his pikachu. "Gary Oak came to a me a year ago, he said he wanted to see you if you ever woke up." She'd say suddenly, regaining his attention, he just looked at her confused but soon smiled and nodded, falling asleep again soon after.

* * *

Ash started rehab a week later. Ash was very determined, and even though he was offered the use of pokemon to assist him in regaining the muscle that he lost from his decade long coma, he would quickly refuse every time, always saying "I won't get stronger if I don't do this my way." His determination boardering on stubbornness, was actually quite admirable to those who watched as progressed. By the end what would have been a mere two months with the help of pokemon, took almost another year before he was in top notch condition.

When he left the first thing he decided to do, was buy Misty her bike. He looked at each one carefully and decided upon an orange one with a basket on the front, nearly identical to the one he had "borrowed" from her. The only difference being that it was a bit larger then the old one, accounting for ten years of growth, and what he pictured in his mind. Not the best idea, but the only one in his head.

He arrived at the ranch that once belonged to Samule Oak, but now to Gary Oak after Samule gave it to him to continue his research and finally deciding to retire. Ash stood at the large door and knocked three times, and sure enough a twenty year old Gary answered looking at Ash with a confused expression.

"Aren't you a little old to be getting ready to start your pokemon journey?" He asked not recognizing Ash. This only made Ash smile and shake his head.

"What? Gary, I'm hurt that you don't recognize your rival. Did ten years make you forget about Ash Ketchum?" He'd say with a big grin as he pointed his thumb at himself. It took Gary a moment to register but once he noticed the all to familiar outfit and trademark hat he threw the door open and stared in shock.

"Ash! Ash Ketchum...is it really you?" He asked unsure of what to believe. Ash just smiled to him and nodded holding out his hand to shake Garys.

Gary just looked at the offered hand and opted to do something even more shocking and actually hugged Ash. "I can't believe you actually woke up..." He pulled away his eyes glassed over as he looked at the should be dead Ash, but managed to smile at his return. There was a silence as Gary led Ash through the lab to a table with three pokeballs sitting atop it.

"Gary, what did you want me to come here for?" Ash finally asked looking to Gary with a curious look.

"Well Ash I figured you'd want to start your journey seeing as how you were robbed of it the first time." Gary would say as he looked to ash to see which he'd pick.

"Gary... What's in there?" Ash asked slowly and slowly reach for the ball with the flame on it only stopping and pulling back, not feeling right with that choice. This made Gary grin and he would press a button on the side of the table, opening the centre for a fourth ball to rise up on its own little platform. This one with a lightning bolt etched on it.

"Your partner." He said calmly. "My grandfather took care of your Pikachu until he passed away. Shortly after, my grandfather retired and left me his lab. I've been taking care if this one ever since. He was one of your pikachus offspring. It's only right that he goes to you." He'd state and picked up the ball reached out grabbing Ashes wrist and put the ball in his hand. A moment later it opened up and out came a young pikachu that was rather friendly considering he was offspring to Ashes first pikachu.

Ash just looked to the mouse and soon enough a big smile came over his face. He would never be able to explain it, but this Pikachu, this was the Pikachu he knew. Pikachu locked eyes with Ash and seemed to know him, most likely told by his own father that one day a trainer named Ash would take him as his partner and they would journey around the world. The pikachu tilted his head and let out an excited cry.

"Pika Pi!" He cried out and leaped into Ashes arms climbing up on his shoulder. This made ash force back tears as he felt like part of the life he new from his dream was meant to be. He only hoped that more would as well, as the thought of the fiery red head crossed his mind. Would she be like in his dream. Only time would tell.

"Thank you Gary... You don't know what this means." Ash said to Gary, this time being to one to do the hugging though it was brief.

"Don't mention it Buddy. Just come back with some good stories." Gary said giving a thumbs up as Ash took his leave with his new partner, the right partner.

As he made it to Mistys new bike he found his mother waiting for him patiently, spotting the new pikachu on his shoulder. She would only offer a sad smile much like the day he left the first time as she held his backpack.

"I see Gary set you up with a new partner... That's good. Take care of my boy Pikachu." Delia said to the eager pikachu. Earning a just as eager cry of excitment. She smiled at this as tears welled in her eyes and she handed him his backpack. "Just be careful okay Ash? I almost lost you once. I don't want to loose you for real."

"You won't loose me Mom, I'll come home" He said as he embraced his mother to express that he meant it.

"You always said you wanted to be the very best. Ash...now go out there and prove it to me. Make me proud Dear." She said giving him one last hug as he nodded to her, smiling confidently as he hopped on the bike and rode up the slight incline.

He stopped at the top of the hill and took one last look back to she his mother waiting likely crying as she waved goodbye to her son. He smiled at her and swallowed the lump in his throat and waved back before going down the other side of the hill, stopping again when he reach the limit of the community and looked at the sign which read. "Welcome to Pallet Town." He smirked at this and Pikachu gave him a curious look as he remained silent. He turned and closed his eyes breathing in the fresh air, enjoying the moment. When he opened his eyes, they grew wide with surprise at the site he witnessed. Another part of his dream would become reality as he watch the Legendary Bird, Ho-Oh, soaring high in the sky with the rising sun. Ash relaxed his gaze as he watched the magnificent creature, taking it as a good sign for his journey to come.

He was silent for a long time and finally as he saw Ho-Oh look back seemingly at him, he nodded and spoke aloud. "I WILL be the very best. I promise." With that said and Ho-Oh out of site. Ash climbed back onto the back and rod off to Viridian City. Ready and eager to face any and all challenges with his faithful companion Pikachu in the basket on front enjoying the ride.

* * *

**Alrighty everybody, I hope you enjoyed reading this interesting take as much as I did writing it. I had the idea floating around in my head for quite a while and finally decided to write it. Just so you all know, I originally planned this to be just a prologue for a much larger story, but thought it would be better to tease you lovely people a little. So please read and review, sorry for any typos I would really like to write how I feel his adventures would go now in this new situation for all of you wonderful people.**

**I should also mention that I do know of the Ash Ketchum Coma theory and found it shortly after I wrote this down, (because a friend mentioned it to me when I told them I wrote this story down) it is merely a coincidence that I had the same idea, I have gone out of my way to change a few things in my story but for those of you who already read it, you probobly noticed that it was pretty much the same.**


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